Kolkata:
A municipal body of a city in West Bengal’s Birbhum has told meat shop owners to remain closed today and tomorrow on the occasion of Chhath Puja. The order by the civic body in Rampurhat, 200 km from Kolkata, has sparked a political row.
In the order sent to all meat shop owners, Rampurhat civic body Chairman Soumen Bhakat said meat shops must remain closed until 10 am on Sunday and Monday. It directed shopkeepers to cover raw meat with red cloth while selling it on other days.
Now, questions are being raised over why meat shops should be ordered to close down for a festival like Chhath Puja.
Tarapith, one of the renowned Shaktipeeths, is located close to Rampurhat. On other religious occasions such as Kaushiki Amavasya and Kali Puja, meat shops have never been told to shut down, critics of the municipal body’s order said.
Bhakat defended the decision. According to him, two shops in front of a court complex openly slaughtered animals and sold meat by the roadside. Students also used this road regularly.
He said traders had previously been verbally instructed to cover the area with tinted screens or red cloth while conducting their business.
“Earlier too we told them two or three times, yet it did not work. Administratively, a notice has been served for this,” he said.
The municipal body chairman said Chhath Puja is a major religious festival for people from Bihar. During an administrative meeting, objections were raised regarding the location of these shops, he added.
Following discussions attended by administrative officials, police representatives and elected representatives, it was decided that the shops would remain closed until 10 am on November 15 and 16. After that, they would be allowed to reopen, provided they followed the guidelines.
The notice has triggered a war of words between the Opposition Congress and the BJP. A section of the Opposition alleged the move amounted to interference in Bengal’s traditional food habits and cultural identity.
They argued that fish and meat are an integral part of Bengali food and culture and are consumed during various festivals and occasions across rural and urban areas. Citing these reasons, they questioned the closure of meat sales ahead of Chhath Puja.
Trinamool Congress leader Milton Rashid said his neighbours and friends have been celebrating Chhath Puja for a long time without any problem.
“Suddenly, I saw yesterday that a notice from the municipality was given to three or four meat shops to keep them closed on the days of Chhath Puja. My point is, the chairman of the municipality has celebrated Chhath Puja for as long as he has been chairman, and before becoming chairman, celebrated Chhath Puja with his entire family… Suddenly, after the change of government, this letter to the meat shops for Chhath Puja surprised us very much. Who will eat what, who will go where, everyone knows that in their own way,” Rashid said.
The municipal body chairman denied the decision was aimed against any community. He said it was taken keeping in mind the religious sentiments associated with Chhath Puja and the specific circumstances surrounding the location of the shops.
